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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23242036">Oolong Tea</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/notyoursherlock/pseuds/notyoursherlock'>notyoursherlock</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sparkling Water [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (2008)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bruce Banner is confused, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Dialogue Heavy, Gay Character, Gay Tony Stark, Gen, Genderfluid Character, Genderfluid Peter Parker, Mentioned Flash Thompson, Mentioned Michelle Jones, Mentioned Ned Leeds, Mentioned Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Non Binary Bucky Barnes, Nonbinary Character, One Shot, Other, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Pre-Slash, aka proofread, bucky uses they/them pronouns, enby!bucky, homophobic slur used, may add more tags, not edited very well but it is edited, offensive language, only once and its fleeting but it is still there, snacks equal scene changes, third in a series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:40:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,822</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23242036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/notyoursherlock/pseuds/notyoursherlock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky picks Peter up from school, said teen teaches them about makeup, and Rhodey's here.</p><p>Natasha refuses to let their nails looks terrible.</p><p>Bruce is confused.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bruce Banner &amp; James "Bucky" Barnes, James "Bucky" Barnes &amp; James "Rhodey" Rhodes, James "Bucky" Barnes &amp; Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes &amp; Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes &amp; Tony Stark, James "Rhodey" Rhodes &amp; Tony Stark, Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sparkling Water [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1662412</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>242</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Oolong Tea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>third work in my 'sparkling water' series, this was (mostly) written all at once. at like one am or two am idk anymore tbh lol</p><p>please read end notes!!!!</p><p>i hope you like</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Putting the car in park Bucky leaned back in the leather seat, threading their fingers together in their lap. They were not too far from Peter’s school, in eyesight, here to pick the teenager up. Tony was in the middle of back-to-back meetings and Happy was with Pepper in California for a press conference, so they were the next best option.</p><p> </p><p>To be honest they didn’t really mind, Peter was quite the delight to be around. The teenager was witty with the perfect amount of snark, practically a carbon copy of Tony.</p><p> </p><p>Hearing the shrill school bell ring in the distance, thanks to their enhanced hearing, they watched like a hawk as the many students poured out of the school’s doors. It didn’t take very long before they spotted Peter among the crowd, who fairly quickly noticed the car and began walking over.</p><p> </p><p>As the teen got closer Bucky looked down for bracelet colors, a habit they had quickly developed. Blue.</p><p> </p><p>Peter got closer and recognized Bucky, looking confused for a brief moment before grinning. The passenger side door swung open and she slid into the car, shutting the door.</p><p> </p><p>“How was school, kiddo?”</p><p> </p><p>She shrugged, tossing her back into the backseat. “It was okay, Ned wasn’t there but MJ was. Flash was being more of a dick than usual.”</p><p> </p><p>They nodded, frowning. Starting the car Bucky turned into the street, driving away from the high school. “That’s good, I like her. What’d he do?”</p><p> </p><p>“The usual,” she responded, crossing her arms over her chest self-consciously, “knocking my shit over, shoulder checking me, blah blah blah.”</p><p> </p><p>“And?”</p><p> </p><p>“He overheard me and MJ talking about makeup during lunch and made fun of me,” she mumbled, curling up in the seat. Her two sizes too big sweatshirt practically swallowed her. “Called me a faggot.”</p><p> </p><p>Hands tightening on the steering wheel hard enough their knuckles turned white Bucky turned onto the next street, now entering heavier traffic. “What a <em>dick.</em> What did you do?” When Peter didn’t respond Bucky took that as a no, she didn’t do anything. “I could always show up, teach him a lesson or two.”</p><p> </p><p>“He needs more than just a lesson, honestly. But no, Bucky, don’t do that, it’s fine.” Peter stared out the car window, watching the scenery. Her face gave away her discomfort, her eyes telling them she was upset.</p><p> </p><p>Not really good at emotions (they were getting better, though!) Bucky placed their flesh hand on her thigh, squeezing lightly at an attempt to comfort her. “The offer still stands. Oh, speaking of makeup, I was wondering if you could show me some tips and tricks? I’ve been wanting to learn and youtube isn’t helping much.”</p><p> </p><p>Peter’s face lit up, eyes brightening. “That’d be dope! I was planning on doing mine when we got back home, so that’ll be the perfect time to teach you! If you want to, today, that is,” she added, suddenly sheepish.</p><p> </p><p>Bucky huffed a laugh. “Of course, Peter. I’d love to.”</p><p> </p><p>——————————————————————————————————————————</p><p> </p><p>“And this one’s called… mascara?”</p><p> </p><p>“Got it in one!”</p><p> </p><p>Peter and Bucky were sitting on the floor in the private common room (there was a floor for both a private and a communal common room), the former teaching the latter.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, so, next you take the eyeliner,” Peter grabbed a black tube, uncapping it and looking in the small mirror they had with them, steadily holding it next to her eye, “and you just… follow along your eyelid… like that!” A perfect sleek black wing nor framed the top of her eyelid to match the other.</p><p> </p><p>“How in the name of fuck did you get it so even? It’s perfect!”</p><p> </p><p>Peter blushed, handing them the eyeliner. “Here, you try.”</p><p> </p><p>Looking at the black tube Bucky eyed it with uncertainty. Welp, here goes nothing. Shifting the mirror so it now faced them Bucky tried their best to copy what Peter did, but came nowhere close.</p><p> </p><p>“What the- how did I even do that?” Bucky looked at the result of their attempt with disgust and a bit of confused awe.</p><p> </p><p>“I… don’t know.” Peter grabbed a makeup wipe, as it was called, and handed it to them. “Here, take it off. I’m not letting you walk around like that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, neither am I,” they grumbled, furiously wiping the black inky mess. “You do it, since you’re so good.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re gonna have to do it eventually, dude,” she laughed, taking the eyeliner nonetheless. “I can’t do it for you every time.”</p><p> </p><p>Bucky rolled their eyes. “Yeah well you can do it this time.”</p><p> </p><p>“Shush. Now, stay still.”</p><p> </p><p>They grumbled with no heat behind their words, moving their head and eyes whichever way she wished.</p><p> </p><p>The end result was, as always, flawless. “I still can’t get over how well you do that.”</p><p> </p><p>She shrugged, capping the makeup and tossing it onto the coffee table. “Practice makes perfect.”</p><p> </p><p>“The way you do yours is fucking superhuman, ’s what it is.”</p><p> </p><p>The two continued to banter, playfully teasing and poking each other. Roughly thirty minutes later the elevator dinged open, signaling someone had come up to the floor.</p><p> </p><p>Bucky was wiping their face off gently, not really fond of the bold blush that had been applied. On the other hand, Peter immediately looked to see who it was and jumped up. “Uncle Rhodey!”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, there’s my favorite niece!” Rhodey crouched down a little and caught the excited arachnid in his arms, spinning her around. “How are you, beetle-bug?”</p><p> </p><p>She giggled and hugged back, steadying herself when he set her down. “Awesome! How are you? I thought you were at some base?”</p><p> </p><p>“Good, and I was but I got let off early, thought I’d come surprise you and your father.” Looking over her Rhodey eyed the back of Bucky, who had just finished taking the blush off. “What’s Barnes doing here? I thought he wasn’t allowed up here?”</p><p> </p><p>Hearing their name Bucky turned around, ignoring the accidental misgendering, and waved. “Colonel Rhodes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sergeant.”</p><p> </p><p>They tossed the wipe aside, not getting up but still giving him their attention.</p><p> </p><p>“I was just showing them some makeup stuff,” Peter offhandedly replied, gesturing to the scene in front of them. “Just basic stuff.”</p><p> </p><p>“Basic stuff my ass,” Bucky complained under their breath but was ignored.</p><p> </p><p>Catching the pronoun Rhodey didn’t let his surprise outwardly show, immediately storing the new information. “So, how did you two meet?”</p><p> </p><p>“Tony kidnapped me to a diner and introduced us,” Bucky answered, leaning an elbow on the table. “Proceeded to have the best burgers I’ve ever had.”</p><p> </p><p>“That sounds like Tony. Mama Jay’s?”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s the one.”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s the best. Tony and I have known her since we were in college, and let me tell you, that woman hasn’t changed a bit,” Rhodey told them, smiling a little as he remembered past times. “Tony went on another lab binge and didn’t eat for three days? Mama Jay would get his ass in line <em>real</em> fast. Mama Jay don’t take nobody’s shit.”</p><p> </p><p>Bucky cackled, slapping their thigh. Even the mere thought of someone keeping young Tony in check made a hilarious scene. Peter snickered alongside them, amused.</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly. Hey Friday, where’s Tony?”</p><p> </p><p>“Boss is in a meeting until five, Colonel Rhodes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks.” Clapping his hands Rhodey looked at Peter then to Bucky and back to Peter. “What do ya’ll say, snacks? I’m joining this party whether ya’ll like it or not.”</p><p> </p><p>Returning to the sofa Peter shook her head, laughing silently. “Of course you’re welcome, Uncle Rhodey.”</p><p> </p><p>“But only after you get snacks,” Bucky helpfully chimed in from the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“But only after you get snacks.”</p><p> </p><p>Huffing Rhodey made his way to the kitchen, making sure to dramatize every step of the way. “You only like me for the food. I’m hurt! Right here! Right in my heart!”</p><p> </p><p> <em>“Sure.”</em></p><p> </p><p>——————————————————————————————————————————</p><p> </p><p>Bucky mindlessly scrolled through their phone, picking at the chipping black nail polish on their right hand nails. Sitting in the communal common room alone they mindlessly checked the news. Most of the team was out on official SHIELD business so they didn’t have to worry about anyone they didn’t want to see their current presentation, which was vastly different than the dark and broody one they were used to.</p><p> </p><p>The elevator dinged to their left and they looked over.</p><p> </p><p>Natasha stepped out, a red mug cradled in her hands. She slowed when they made eye contact and nodded in acknowledgment, which they reciprocated, and spotted their nails. Wordlessly, she made her way into the kitchen, making a cup of coffee.</p><p> </p><p>Finished making the caffeinated drink she set the mug down on the counter, silently reentering the elevator.</p><p> </p><p>Odd. She left her coffee so she was obviously coming back, but what was she doing?</p><p> </p><p>Bucky shrugged. It wasn’t their business and they didn’t really care, anyways. They returned to reading an article about a new restaurant that opened nearby.</p><p> </p><p>Not but six minutes later did the elevator returned, the red-head stepping out. In her hands was a box, it’s contents hidden. Balancing the box on her hip Natasha grabbed her now cool coffee and walked over to the couches, heavily dropping the box on a loveseat, the mug on the coffee table, herself sitting down on a small circular ottoman.</p><p> </p><p>“Gimme your hand.”</p><p> </p><p>“…what?”</p><p> </p><p>“Gimme your hand,” she repeated, drawing a bottle of something and a plastic baggie of cotton balls out. “You heard me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, but why?” They asked suspiciously, setting their phone aside.</p><p> </p><p>Natasha opened the bottle, pressing a cotton ball to the mouth of it and tipping them over, getting the cotton damp. “I refuse to let you walk around with nails like that. Come on, have you seen them? Absolutely not, I’m redoing them.”</p><p> </p><p>Pleasantly surprised Bucky shifted to the edge of the couch, holding their hands out. “Not what I expected, but I’m not complaining.”</p><p> </p><p>“No-one ever does,” she replied, taking hold of their right hand. As she wiped the cotton over them, Bucky looked on in wonder as the polish seemed to just melt off.</p><p> </p><p>“What is that stuff?”</p><p> </p><p>“Acetone. Takes it right off like magic.” Finished she grabbed a black leather baggie, unzipping it and taking out a clear container of nail polish. “This is a base coat, it’ll protect your nails and make it more even.”</p><p> </p><p>They nodded. Natasha took their hand and expertly applied it, a perfect gloss coating their nails.</p><p> </p><p>“Black?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, please.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sounds like a plan.” Done with the base coat she set it to the side and fished out another polish, this one black. “You do your own makeup?”</p><p> </p><p>They shook their head. “Peter. Kid’s a wiz at it.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what you get when you befriend an enhanced teenager,” Natasha replied, taking a sip from her mug.</p><p> </p><p>“Fair.”</p><p> </p><p>For the next hour or so Natasha did their nails, managing to convince them to let her put mini sparkles on them, and was currently tediously braiding their hair.</p><p> </p><p>The floor’s elevator dinged and a tired scientist shuffled out, rubbing at his eyes under small reading glasses. Bruce shuffled forward a few steps before spotting the duo, stopping in his tracks.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh… hi? What’re you two up to?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nails and hair,” Natasha answered, not moving the focus of her attention.</p><p> </p><p>Bruce nodded. “Huh. Cool. Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“Why not?”</p><p> </p><p>Taking that as an answer Bruce shrugged and turned around, going right back into the elevator he just walked out of, not even getting whatever he originally came to this floor for.</p><p> </p><p>Natasha proceeded to add the finishing touches to their hair, adding a couple of bobby pins. “Movie?”</p><p> </p><p>“Horror?”</p><p> </p><p>“The Shining.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m down with that.”</p><p> </p><p>The red-head proceeded to pull up the movie, hitting play. “Snacks?”</p><p> </p><p>“Trail mix and whatever junk food we have.”</p><p> </p><p>Natasha nodded, standing and striding over to the kitchen. “Come on, soldier, you have two perfectly capable hands available.”</p><p> </p><p>Rolling their eyes Bucky sighed in false annoyance, getting up. “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”</p><p> </p><p>——————————————————————————————————————————</p><p> </p><p>Bucky pressed pause on the TV remote as credits scrolled by, the movie ended. They looked around, the soft glow of the television lighting up the dark room.</p><p> </p><p>Peter was curled up asleep at the end of the sofa they were on, a red bracelet dangling from his wrist, barely hanging on. On a couch to the right Natasha was stretched out, sleeping peacefully, a huge sign of trust from an assassin. Over in the corner Bruce was passed out laying halfway on a large bean bag (he had come up (or down) from wherever he was and wordlessly joined them, pretty much immediately collapsing and falling asleep on said bean bag). To their left on a loveseat Rhodey was sat at the farthest end from them, Tony’s sleeping head cradled in his lap. They were not jealous, nope, not at all.</p><p> </p><p>“I was wrong about you.”</p><p> </p><p>They looked the colonel in the eyes. “What do you mean?”</p><p> </p><p>“When we first met,” Rhodey elaborated, running a hand through the genius on his lap’s hair, “and even before that I thought you were going to be some mopey, depressed ex-HYDRA assassin attached to Rogers’ hip.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t blame you. I was kinda like that at the start, though, just without the attached at the hip part.”</p><p> </p><p>He shrugged. “Still. Now? You’ve gotten past so many things and you express yourself as you want to. But most importantly you take care of Tony and Peter, and I thank you for that.”</p><p> </p><p>Touched Bucky shifted, still not quite used to receiving any praise. “Thanks, but I’m just doing what anybody else would.”</p><p> </p><p>Rhodey shook his head. “Believe it or not most people don’t treat either of them the way they deserve to be treated. They manipulate Tony out of his money and bully Peter for being himself. You? You do none of that. You pull Tony out of lab binges, make sure they’re both fed, help with Peter’s homework. Just those three things <em>alone</em> make you better than a lot of people.”</p><p> </p><p>“I…” A lump grew in Bucky’s throat, making it hard to speak. “I didn’t know that.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s true,” he gestured to the room with his hand, returning it to Tony’s scalp when he made an unhappy noise in his sleep. “Look around you. Peter’s curled up asleep not even a foot away- hell, <em>Natasha’s</em> sleeping with you in the room. That speaks volumes.” Suddenly his face hardened, voice turning serious. “If you hurt any one of them I will find you and rip you to shreds.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not if I beat you to it first.”</p><p> </p><p>Rhodey eyed them for a few seconds, sizing them up. Keeping their expression neutral Bucky did’t say anything, posture open. Eventually the colonel nodded in satisfaction. “You can stay. For now. But don’t you even think for a second that if you hurt any one of them I will not hesitate to-“</p><p> </p><p>“Find me and rip me to shreds,” Bucky parroted off, knowing that the man would do anything to protect those he considered family</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I like you. You’re a good person, Barnes, even if you don’t believe it at times.”</p><p> </p><p>They blushed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind their ear. “Please, call me Bucky.”</p><p> </p><p>He grinned. “Call me Rhodey.”</p><p> </p><p>“So, how much do you bet Tony’ll wake up and immediately demand coffee?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, dude, that’s like asking when you’re gonna breath next.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fair point.”</p><p> </p><p>“…five hundred.”</p><p> </p><p>“A thousand,” Natasha piped up from her spot, a single eye watching them. “Easy.”</p><p>“Are you guys betting on me?” Tony asked, voice still a little drowsy from sleep, raising his head to look around the room.</p><p> </p><p>Rhodey shushed him, gently pushing him back down. “Go back to sleep, Tones.”</p><p> </p><p>Said man grunted in annoyance, not bothering to lift his head back up. “You so were betting only me, don’t even try denying it. Rude. And stop grilling my friend’s like an overprotective mama bear, Bucky-Boo couldn’t hurt a fly!” The three of them all snorted at that, but Tony decidedly ignored them. “They didn’t even do anything!”</p><p> </p><p> <em>“Shh.”</em></p><p> </p><p>Bucky’s heart, for some reason, ached when he referred to them as a friend, but warmed at him protecting them. Shoving that feeling away they hummed. “Thank you, Tony, but he’s fine.” The genius didn’t reply, having somehow fallen back asleep. “How’d you do that? Get him to sleep?”</p><p> </p><p>“Been doing it since he was a freshman in college,” Rhodey replied, gently returning to the task of stroking his hair. “Works like a charm every time.”</p><p> </p><p>“You have gotta show me that trick sometime.”</p><p> </p><p>“Same here,” Natasha agreed, shifting so she was laying on her back instead of her side. “Now, are we gonna sit here and talk all day, or are we gonna watch the movie?”</p><p> </p><p>Chuckling Bucky grabbed the remote, hitting play. They settled down into a peaceful silence, the only sounds coming from the television and the occasional snore. It was nice.</p><p> </p><p>“Ha, you both owe me money now!”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, <em>shut up.”</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>so that was it ig</p><p>ok s o </p><p>just wanted to update anyone who cares but im gonna dip tomorrow before my flight (its a fucking layover) and not be active or a while, so dont worry</p><p>next thing i update is most likely going to be The Spider and The Airport, but watch out for any one shots, things like that. will update status on there.</p><p>anyways, i drummed this out in not very long, proofread it (loosely), added some stuff, the usual. please notify me of any mistakes/plot holes.</p><p>if you have any questions on anything please spam my inbox, messages make me happy, i love responding to y'all</p><p>constructive criticism is welcome.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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